Corbyn’s warm, composed demeanour eclipses May’s empty answers

Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May faced a live TV grilling broadcast on Sky and Channel 4. One of them repeated a series of non-coherent sentences that seemed to have little correlation with the questions asked, had the audience laughing in sheer disbelief, and bored many in the audience into a comatose: and the other was a buoyant, warm, composed Jeremy Corbyn, spreading his message of hope for a better, fairer country in the face of what seemed unfair questioning.

Theresa May’s first question came from a police officer, who wanted to know what she was doing about police cuts. “It’s very clear,” she said, before stringing together a series of words which bared little relevance to the question. The rest of the interview with the Supreme Leader, conducted by Jeremy Paxman, largely let her off the hook, as she went round and round the houses, never really pushed for a real answer. A man was caught mouthing “bollocks, absolute bollocks” on camera – a feeling that many of us in the country share whenever Chairman May opens her nonsensical, disingenuous, hypocritical mouth.

Jeremy Corbyn showed why so many are warming to him, he was composed throughout with a genuine air, a hint of humour and a thoroughly likeable demeanour and answered questions head on in a sensible fashion, rather than resorting to rhetoric, sensationalism and personal attacks. Answering a question about leadership, he told the audience that leadership was as much about using your ears and listening as it was about using your mouth. He faced a grilling from Jeremy Paxman, who seemed determined to rile him by interrupting approximately every five seconds, but quickly had the audience on his side. Paxman’s questions were often completely irrelevant and puerile.

Corbyn’s positions are his positions, nobody seems clear what May’s positions are as she constantly flip flops – the only thing that seems consistent about May is her inconsistency.

Theresa May insisted that no Brexit deal is better than a bad deal, this comes in contrast to her insistence that we must get the right deal, or face the consequences, and of course not too long after insisting that Brexit would be “dangerous” and a “leap in the dark” for Britain. So is no deal the right deal? But wasn’t no deal a bad deal not too long ago? After all “Brexit means Brexit” and its going to be “red, white and blue”. So everything will be okay, right?

Theresa May is running round in circles, making meaningless statements. “You’ve basically changed your mind about everything,” Paxman concluded after reading out a list of May’s U-turns.

No doubt if you open the Telegraph, Express or the Mail today you will read how May wiped the floor with Corbyn – the truth couldn’t be more different. The Tories are losing their grip on the agenda, they have resorted to attempting to spread panic and the use of baseless personal attacks.

Indeed, in trying to deflect from May’s inadequacy and Corbyn’s rising public opinion ratings, The Mail and Express have chosen today to publish a blatant lie that Labour plan to introduce a “garden tax”, this shows the level of panic within the Tory and establishment ranks. They are out in full scaremongering force. Chief campaign advisor Lynton Crosby, with the help of Rupert Murdoch and friends, is not so much throwing dead cats on the table this time around, more throwing dead leopards, tigers, foxes and any other creature he can get his hands on.

Responding to the public’s questions on the dementia tax, school funding, NHS funding and Brexit, Theresa May filled the time with dead air. The existential despair of listening to her seems to be grinding the patience of even traditional Conservative voters. The woman who has made the election into a battle of personality seems to have forgotten one thing: she seems to lack any semblance of personality. Corbyn has more charisma than May could ever hope for – no surprise that she has refused to debate him head to head.

When was the last time you heard a Prime-Minister repeatedly laughed at, jeered, and heckled on national television by a representative studio audience?

This is the same May that claims she is the only credible option to negotiate our exit from the EU. I would suggest that negotiations are not best undertaken by attempted blackmail, as May has threatening to turn the UK into a low paid, low employment right, poverty ridden, tax haven on the shores of Europe. It is not best conducted by accusing the negotiating partner of trying to interfere in your democratic process, as May has. And it is not best conducted by insisting that you are “bloody difficult” to negotiate with. She is making us the laughing stock of Europe.

May hoped to spend this election hiding from the public and media scrutiny as much as possible, no debate is better than a bad debate – but she couldn’t hide forever. The public has now well and truly seen her for what she really is.

May doesn’t hold the answers we need on either a national or international basis. This country is crying out for change. Jeremy Corbyn can provide the leadership we crave and the change we need.

Statesmanlike, willing to listen and engage in rational discussion, Corbyn is the man we need in charge as we negotiate our exit from the European Union and to forge a new path for this nation. Corbyn’s warmth and empathy rather than May’s witless scaremongering tactics will get the best deal for this country.

Actor, trained at Birmingham School of Acting - currently flexing vocal chords on the Yorkshire coast. Saxophonist, lover of Musical theatre, jazz, cups of tea and wine. Founder/Editor of The Daily Spectacle.